Third sector? More like first!

I work in charity comms, whilst my wife Laura works in outdoor education for a national conservation charity. We’re basically the Brangelina of the Scottish charity sector: pre break up, of course.

Recently, I was invited to Edinburgh Zoo for their ‘Wild About Scotland’ day. ‘Wild about Scotland’ is an initiative which enables young people from all across Scotland to learn about their native wildlife, and some of the exciting conservation projects that the Zoo is involved in. Thanks to funding from Clydesdale Bank, the Zoo was able to offer hundreds of tickets to young people and their families, which were distributed in partnership with local charities, including Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland, Circle, Children 1st, Aberlour, and Children in Scotland. Disadvantaged families from all over Scotland came to the day, where they could learn about native Scottish wildlife, whilst enjoying a rare day out together.

Between the incredible educational work this programme conducts and the partnership working it benefits from, Laura and I decided to do have a crack at writing a joint blog. This week, we replaced ‘date night’ with ‘blog night’. Who says romance is dead?

So, let’s start with the programme itself.

Wild About Scotland is free of charge, and offers the same high standard of curriculum linked education sessions that you would expect from RZSS for remote communities, who might not have the opportunity to visit Edinburgh Zoo. At a time when school budgets are pinched, and transport costs are increasing, this project provides children with locally relevant learning for sustainability in their school grounds.

The project, though, is only half the story. Wild about Scotland also highlights something both wonderful and arguably unique in our sector: true partnership working.

I spoke with Fiona, a Family Support Worker from Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland, who told me:

‘When I saw tickets for the Zoo being advertised, I jumped at the chance to apply. Bringing up a child with an additional need isn’t easy – it can be a really isolating experience. Things that other families take for granted, like day trips out, can be extremely difficult – issues include things like accessibility, financial constraints, and anxieties that go hand in hand with having a disabled child. Here, our families feel more at ease: they can spend the day with others in a similar position to them, which can help greatly. We were offered one hundred tickets, and have twenty families here today, from all over Scotland It’s been brilliant! We’re so glad that we’ve been able to offer this unique opportunity to those living with Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus’.

For me, the ‘Wild about Scotland’ day was a great reminder as to why I work in the third sector. Organisations working together for the common good, with no agenda other than to make the world a better place, is truly humbling.

Why are you proud to work in the charity sector? Have your say below. 

Like most people in the charity sector, I get a real kick out of helping others. That’s why last October, I joined the University of Aberdeen’s Mentoring Programme as an alumni mentor. I was matched with Jasmin, a twenty-four year old postgraduate student in the sociology of religion, who was keen to pursue a career in the third sector, and/ or in social research.

Six months on, and I’m delighted as to how well the match has gone. Here’s what my mentee Jasmin has gotten out of the experience:

‘As someone not originally from the UK, I can’t express how valuable this experience has been. Through this mentoring programme, I have been able to more confidently identify my professional interests and how I can best integrate into the Scottish third sector. I’ve broadened both my knowledge and network, and gained opportunities that I do not believe I would have been able to find on my own. Sometimes, a little guidance makes all the difference. I’ve been able to talk to a variety of people working across the charity sector, and identify what skills I need to develop in order to be an asset to these charities. Through this mentoring experience, I have also been given the opportunity to volunteer with a couple of local charities, including Samaritans Scotland. 

Not only have I gained practical skills, but Rebecca has been amazing by reaching out to her contacts to create opportunities, and simply being a pleasant human to get to know over the course of the past six months. If all proceeds well, I look forward to working with her in the Scottish third sector in the future!’

So, as you can see, there’s plenty of reasons to get yourself a mentor if you want to widen your network and access new career opportunities. But what about the mentors themselves? Read on to find out why you should become a mentor:

Become an ambassador for the third sector, and charity professionals. Let’s be honest: how many of us fell into the third sector, rather than actively pursuing a career in it? This is a huge problem in our sector, and one that we need to start tackling: especially when it comes to fundraising. When I was at university less than ten years ago, I didn’t even know that this was a career option! By mentoring those who show an interest in our sector, we can help make things a little bit easier for the next generation of charity professionals.

Do something good for others. We all know those well cited studies that state helping others is the key to happiness. Working for a charity is not without it’s challenges; however, one thing that’s very high in our sector is job satisfaction. Simply put, doing good makes you feel good. Sometimes, the best way to show our gratitude to those who have helped us is to give something back ourselves. Cheesy, but true!

Gain valuable leadership experience. If, like me, you’ve always worked with small charities with only a handful of staff, you’ll understand how difficult it can be to demonstrate experience of line management. Often, moving up the career ladder requires some form of people management responsibilities; if you don’t have this experience or want to hone your skills in this area further, mentoring can be a great way to do this. It’s also really satisfying!

So, whether you want to be an ambassador for charity professionals and our wonderful sector; top up your CV; or simply help someone in need of guidance, I’d highly recommend mentoring. The Scottish Chamber of Commerce, Charity Comms and various regional and national factions of the Institute of Fundraising offering mentoring schemes to those within the third sector.

In the wake of last summer’s media frenzy on fundraising, I’m sure I won’t be the only person in our wonderful sector longing for more positive stories in the papers.

Nowadays, community fundraising is so popular that many feel overwhelmed when it comes to getting press attention. What’s the hook? How do I get people interested in my supporter’s event? Sure, it can be difficult to compete with so many others also fundraising, but if you follow these simple steps, you’ll have the best chance of getting it right.

Tip 1: Get it from the horse’s mouth 

There’s only so much that any charity can do to promote its supporter-led events; if we promoted every single event our fundraisers ever held, we’d have no time to campaign on issues important to our organisations.

The key to community fundraising really is in the name itself. Everyone has a reason to fundraise, and – whilst some pick a charity at random – more often than not, the catalyst for raising funds for charity is very personal. Telling an emotive, personal story can be hugely powerful – particularly if it comes from the fundraiser themselves.

Let’s use an example. This is Ally Clift with his older brother, Adam.

Ally was just thirteen years old when he lost Adam to blood cancer in March this year. Devastated by the loss, Ally decided that he wanted to do something that would help raise awareness of and funds for a blood cancer charity. A lifelong tube-enthusiast, Ally decided to visit all 270 London Underground stations in just twenty-four hours, in what he called a ‘Tube Challenge’.

Ally made sure that his story was told on his Just Giving page, and on social media. Granted; the teenager had help from his family, but the point is that he told his story, and in his own words.

His aunt Margaret Clift-McNulty, a professional fundraiser herself, explained:

‘I knew it was such a powerful story because of Ally’s age, his ingenuity, and the experiences that he and his family had been through. It was powerful and special – different from the usual fundraising challenge.’

Tip 2: Be good, be social 

Fundraising online is often under estimated; however, last year £100 million in donations to Just Giving came from Facebook referrals. Amazing, right? And that’s not all: check out the infographic below for more stats.

Ally and his family shared regular updates on the day of the challenge, and even made a hashtag for the event, #WheresAlly. They also used Thunderclap to raise awareness and generate buzz in advance of the event, and on the big day itself.

Tip 3: Make it really easy for people to donate 

If you’re one of the thousands of charities using Just Giving, be sure to tell your supporters about text giving codes. Ally wore a t shirt prominently displaying his text donation code on the day of the challenge, which he also wore on all media appearances. He even featured an image of the code on his Thunderclap homepage (pictured below). His text code was also featured in newspaper articles, making it really easy for people to donate in real-time.

This clearly paid off, with Bloodwise’s Insight and Analysis Manager Owen Bowden telling me:

Ally’s aunt Margaret added:

‘I’ve lost count of the people who told me that after the story broke on BBC Breakfast, they were just sitting pressing refresh and watching the donations go up and up. Ex colleagues; people I went to school with; relatives; the guys at Bloodwise and Transport for London – it was like we were part of one huge Team Ally across the country. It was really moving’. 

And finally… Always be prepared 

It’s a fact that if fundraisers have pre-prepared photos and a press release, they will vastly increase their chances of getting media coverage. Whilst our charities may not have the resources to create bespoke press packs for our supporters, we can and should encourage our fundraisers to create these themselves, using a basic template. That way, our messages are on brand, and the authenticity of the story remains intact.

By being prepared for media interest, Ally’s story was featured far and wide: The Guardian, BBC Breakfast, ITV, The Mirror and The Daily Mail all picked the story up, to name a few. It even got as far afield as South Africa, Malaysia and China! Importantly, the tube-challenge was also featured at a local level in Ally’s hometown of Liverpool. Most local newspapers make it easy to submit a story; there’s either an email address or an online submission form, and this can really help to spark interest.

In total, Ally raised over £35,000 for Bloodwise, and has been shortlisted for Young Fundraiser of the Year at the Just Giving Awards. Well done and good luck, Ally!

‘There are no Pokéballs in your bag’: the pop-up that every Pokémon trainer dreads receiving.

Especially when you’re at an event surrounded by the fictional creatures. 

It’s not often that you spend a Wednesday evening surrounded by people dressed as Pikachu; yet there I was, at Edinburgh Zoo’s first ever #PokémonGO event, trying (and failing miserably) to catch ’em all. Amongst the excitement, I nearly caught a rare Onix, and trained my Starmie in the Gym, which just so happened to be filled with penguins… 

It was clear that this event attracted a different, more alternative crowd than the average daytime visitor: it was more like being at ComicCon than at one of the most popular tourist attractions in Edinburgh. Amongst the gamers, fan-girls (and boys) and fellow alumni of Zombie School, it was also great to see lots of people with disabilities, and a wide range of ages. And people really dressed for the occasion!

I caught up with Jo Paulson, Events and Experiences Manager at Edinburgh Zoo, to chat about how the event had come about. She told me:

‘We got the idea from Bristol Zoo, who have held a couple of really successful events recently, and from other zoos internationally. We really didn’t realise how popular this event was going to be: initially, we released two thousand tickets, which we sold out in under six hours. We then increased capacity by another six hundred places, and we still ended up with a waiting list of five hundred people! We’re already exploring a second date. It’s been one of our fastest sell-out events of all time’.   

‘We’re always looking for ways to bring new people to the Zoo. It’s particularly good to see so many people with disabilities like autism here this evening’.

Other than the excellent selection of rare Pokémon to be caught, what I found particularly impressive about this event was the seamless integration of fundraising. In addition to a suggested donation of £5 per person, there was a huge range of Pokémon cupcakes on sale; face painting; and – of course – a membership stand.

So, did it pay off? The total figure raised on the evening was an impressive £5,429.96, averaging around a £2 donation per person. Following my previous blog on how Scottish charities are engaging with the latest gaming craze, it’s great to see one of Scotland’s largest charities using Pokémon as a way of engaging new audiences and donors. 

Well done, Edinburgh Zoo, and thanks for having us! Keep an eye on their Twitter account for details of the next event.

Thanks to Laura Curtis-Moss for providing the Pokémon action shots. 

As the tagline goes, ‘you gotta catch them all’.

Originally, this post was going to be about how Scottish charities are once again setting the bar high by utilising the latest internet craze to hit the UK, Pokémon GO. Instead, it’s turned into a chronicle of woefully missed opportunities.

Firstly, it’s worth explaining what Pokémon GO is. Pokémon GO is a location-based augmented reality mobile game. Players use their smartphone screens to search for virtual Pokémon in public spaces, then capture characters like Charizard, Squirtle and Pikachu. Once players have reached level 5, they pit their Pokémon against other players’ collections, winning valuable new characters and claiming virtual turf.

As I started trawling the internet for good charity newsjacking examples, time and time again, you know what I came across? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Where were the Scottish walking charities? Those dealing with digital inclusion; mental health; physical health; young people; the outdoors; heritage and museums or the arts? Those who rely on income from major walking fundraising events?!

I came across quite a few Scottish charities that were lucky enough to have Pokéstops at their venue, but other than a couple of ingenuous charity shops setting up ‘lures’ (to lure Pokémon , and therefore players, to that location), and the suggestion of Reddit users that Children’s Hospitals should be made into Pokémon battlegrounds known as ‘gyms’ (thus helping sick kids play from their beds), I saw very few organisations really make the most out of this.

In all, I was really surprised as to how few charities have gotten involved.

I did, however, find a couple of needles in the haystack.

National Trust for Scotland used the game as an opportunity to promote their properties:

… As did Glasgow Science Centre:

… And Edinburgh Zoo. Pokemon in the penguin enclosure!

Edinburgh Fringe used the app to promote their merchandise:

… Whilst Euans Guide promoted their excellent #RedCordCard campaign.

Could this caution be down to NSPCC’s statement, urging Nintendo to delay the UK launch of the game, due to fears over child safety? Perhaps for other charities dealing with young people, yes. But then again, that’s why Young Scot have been issuing tips on Snapchat how to stay safe while trying to catch ’em all.

So, Scottish charities: grab this new trend by the Pokéballs!*

*But only if it’s relevant for your cause to do so! Always think before you newsjack.

Editors note: since originally publishing this post on July 17th, I’ve come across another couple of charities doing some fantastic work…

RSPB have published a fifty second video about playing the game on their reserves. Check out the full thing on their social media! 

Following in the footsteps of Bristol Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo have announced their first Pokémon GO event. For a suggested donation of £5, players will be able to catch some of the rarest Pokémon in the UK, plus have exclusive access to the zoo. Sadly, the event is now sold out, but the Zoo are looking at future dates.

Scottish walking charity Paths for All have used the popular app to encourage more people to walk for health.

And but not least, Digital Meet Up Glasgow are hosting a Pokémon GO charity trail for MacMillan Cancer on August 14th.

Great work, everyone! Have I missed any other examples? If so, comment below.

As the new Communications, Engagement and Events Coordinator for the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, I recently ran my first ever campaign for MND Awareness Month, #BeatMND. Read on to find out my key takeaways…

No. 1: You don’t need to spend a fortune to run a successful campaign.

After years of working with small charities, I’m well aware of the budgetary constraints that awareness and fundraising campaigns can present.

Here are my top tips on running a campaign on a shoestring:

Don’t pay for a graphic designer – they cost a fortune, and unless you’re looking for something really complex, you should be able to create the graphics that you need yourself. Canva is a free, web-based tool, which can help you to create solid graphics for your campaign without spending a penny. They also offer free subscriptions to their ‘Canva for Work’ programme for non profits.

You know what else you don’t need? Fancy equipment to create decent quality video. I filmed a series of short ‘talking heads’ videos for this campaign, using my iPhone, for less than £20. How, you becry?

After some research on good old Google, I decided to invest in the FiLMiC Pro app, compatible for both iOS and Android; a smartphone tripod (purchased from trusty Poundland, thanks to a top tip from this lady); and a Lavalier Smartphone Mic. Using compositional technique the Rule of Thirds, I was able to capture decent, professional looking shots in HD, with good sound quality, without breaking the bank. As these were unedited pieces, I didn’t use any software, though I did trim the running time slightly, using YouTube’s Video Manager. Check out the first in the series below, and let me know what you think!

You don’t need to spend a fortune on an expensive camera to take some decent, professional looking shots. Even if you don’t use Instagram as a comms channel, it’s worth getting an account, so that you can benefit from the wide selection of filters and other free editing tools. Check out the photos in the Storify below, which were edited using Instagram, which I hope you’ll agree look pretty good!

No. 2: Have something interactive for your supporters to get involved with, both online and IRL.

Whilst digital is very important in today’s environment, it shouldn’t be the only element of your campaign. Remember, just because you spend every waking moment on Twitter, it doesn’t mean your current and potential supporters do! Try and have at least one activity offline to ensure accessibility and diversity of audience.

For our online supporters, I created campaign-specific banners for Facebook and Twitter, downloadable from our website, and a (free) Twibbon, allowing people to update their profile picture. This proved really popular, with over 350 people lending their support to our campaign.

For the ‘real life’ element of the campaign, I designed campaign-specific stickers to give out on our awareness raising stalls, and kitted out our volunteers with matching t shirts. The real way that the online and offline elements of the campaign met, though, was through our placards.

An idea inspired by SCVO’s powerful #ILoveCharity campaign earlier this year, I created two placards: one for the Centre’s scientists and fundraisers; and another for the general public. This way, people could share how they were helping to #BeatMND, and/or why they wanted to beat the disease.

The placards could be downloaded from our website; filled out online; or completed in person at an engagement event, where they were then placed on our ‘wall of fame’. Photos of supporters with their placards were encouraged, as these could then be shared with a much wider audience using social media. This proved to be a great way to engage and inspire our researchers, fundraisers and the general public, as well as bringing different platforms of the campaign together.

And finally, No. 3: Report. Thank. Repeat.

Stewardship is important, people! I can’t stress enough how vital it is to properly inform your supporters of your successes, and to thank them properly for getting involved in your campaign. For #BeatMND, I did this by creating this infographic to demonstrate our impact:

… And this Storify, which was shared extensively on social media:

Like most people, I’m not a fan of junk mail – whether it’s a takeaway menu on a Monday night when I’m trying to be healthy, or a gas company looking to sell me their wares, it usually goes straight into the recycling.  With one important exception.

I always look forward to receiving mail from Cath Kidston; it’s elegant, it’s classy, and most importantly, it adds value and feels personal to me.

Suffice to say, when I recently received the company’s Christmas campaign mailing, I was thrilled. Had it not been for the typed address, I would honestly have thought it was from a particularly attentive friend.

Inside a spotted and colourful envelope awaited a really well made Christmas card and preview of their spring collection. The card thanked me for being a loyal customer, the reward for which was a 20% discount inside a pullable paper cracker.

I loved the exclusivity of this card, which felt like it was from an old friend, rather than a multi-million pound business, as well as the interactive cracker, inside which lay a lucrative discount just for me.

So, what do I think fundraisers could take away from this?

• Ensure your supporters feel appreciated. Charities can’t give people money off their favourite brand; instead, they can add value by demonstrating the difference that their donation has and, and will continue to, make.

• Personalise your mail – even better, handwrite it if resources allow. Edinburgh based charity Bethany Christian Trust, for example, handwrite every single Christmas card they send out to their supporters.

• If you’re able to, include something interactive in your mailings. Be creative about this – it doesn’t have to break the bank; but it should be something memorable that recipients can associate with your organisation.

This blog was originally featured on Fundraising UK, on the 14th of December 2015.